Welcome to the Cambridge Building Department

Welcome to the Cambridge Building Department!

We are happy to assist you.

The Building Department offers services that provide minimum standards to safeguard life, health, property, and public welfare by being responsible for the application and enforcement of the Minnesota State Building Code and related City Ordinances regulating construction, alterations, and the use of buildings within the City.

The City of Cambridge adopts the Minnesota State Building Code.

It takes everyone in a community to keep homes, schools, offices, stores and other buildings safe for personal and public use. Your safe construction practices help protect you, your family, your friends and your investment. Be sure to get your local code official involved with your project, because the building department is on your side.

Do I need a building permit?

A building or structure cannot be erected, constructed, enlarged, altered, repaired, moved, improved, removed, converted or demolished unless a building permit has been obtained from the city. Applications for building permits are available at City Hall and on this website. Permits identify the work to be covered, the land on which the proposed work is to be done, and the use for which the proposed work is intended. Applications should be accompanied by a site plan and a scaled, detailed drawing of the proposed project. If you do not have a survey of your lot, there is a good chance the city does. Working with a lot survey is the best way to present a site plan. The Building Department will review the application and issue a permit if the work described conforms to the Minnesota State Building Code and other pertinent laws and ordinances. Permit fees are based on the City's adopted fee schedule. Every permit becomes invalid unless the work authorized by the permit begins within 180 days after its issuance, or if work is suspended or abandoned for 180 days after it begins. Extensions may be granted.

What good is a building permit?

Your home or business is an investment. If your construction project does not comply with the codes adopted by your community, the value of your investment could be reduced.

Property insurers may not cover work done without permits and inspections. If you decide to sell a home or building that has had modifications without a permit, you may be required to tear down the addition, leave it unoccupied, or do costly repairs.

A property owner who can show that code requirements were strictly and consistently met - as demonstrated by the City of Cambridge's carefully maintained records, has a strong ally if something happens to trigger a potential lawsuit.

Your permit also allows the code official to protect the public by reducing the potential hazards of unsafe construction and ensuring public health, safety and welfare. By following code guidelines, your completed project will meet minimum standards of safety and will be less likely to cause injury to you, your family, your friends or future owners.